Is it right to pray for someone to be saved from eternal hell, after they die on earth?

 LOVE BONDS ON EARTH

Man’s connection with love on earth ends with his death. It is natural to have the inclination to pray in times of acute distress and to have the urge to pray for the dead, since human spirit rebels against the concept of annihilation after death. However, we as true believers in Christ really need to understand that the valid parameters of prayer are only revealed in the Bible. So let’s examine the Holy Word of God and see what the Lord is telling us about this question.

No one should entertain the illusion that someone may be able to pray for him, effecting some beneficial result, after he is dead. Is this a heartless admonition? It is not. It is spiritual reality. Can the destiny of the dead be changed if one prays for them? NOT AT ALL.


The Bible indicates in Hebrews 9:27 that, "As it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment." In other words, God is saying that once we have died the next event in our life is Judgment Day.

Psalms 115:17 "The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.”

Psalms 6:4-5 "Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake. For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?"

We see clearly that the dead don't speak with God, they don't pray for us, and they can't give thanks to the Almighty God. They have no remembrance! They know nothing, but are in silence, waiting for the day when they must stand before Jesus Christ and give account for all what they did on earth. So if they are in silence, how could we pray to them or pray for them?? There is no confirmation from the Bible that a change in one’s spiritual condition can be made following his death – either by himself, or through the efforts of others.

 

HISTORY - MAN MADE TRADITIONS

The Bible constitutes the only legitimate Word of God. And there is ample evidence in this sacred volume that, prayers for the dead are not in concordance to the Word of God. Many appear to be pagan practice of olden times, which seem to have trickled down the ages as man-made traditions and have crept into the lives of Christian believers.

 

The pagan custom of praying for the dead is more than 2-3000 years old. Ancestral worship has been well known in China, India and many eastern countries in Asia, and in some societies, such as that of ancient Egypt, were actually built around the practice of “funereal”. There is no reference in the Old Testament that praying to the dead was a part of the Children of the Living God, Israel. If any Jews followed the practice, then they must have adopted from the customs of the East and from the people living around them. God had strictly told Israel to stay away, but they never listened and had to suffer for so many years. Deuteronomy 18:9 "When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.”

 

Disclaimer: Jesus loves all my Catholic friends and so do I. I have used a few Catholic doctrines to explain the man-made traditions creeping into many traditional churches around the world. We are all part of One body of Christ, and hence my objective has been to show what Jesus is telling us through the Word of God, the Bible, about this question and in no way to disparage any church.

 

Roman Catholic theology allows for prayers both to the dead, and on behalf of them. However, even Catholic authorities concede that there is no explicit authorization for prayers on behalf the dead in the sixty-six books of canonical Scripture. Roman authorities appeal to the Apocrypha (2 Macabees 12:46), church tradition (late second century and onward), the decree of the Council of Trent (Session XXV), etc., but there is no valid biblical defense to be made for the practice (see Donald Attwater, A Catholic Dictionary, New York: Macmillan, 1961, p. 137).  However, unwarranted inferences are drawn from few passages that are not biblical and are stated as historical.

The Catholic Church had introduced “All Souls Day” as early as the fourth century. In those days, Europe had been infested with many ancient pagan rituals for the dead. The Catholic Church believes that the grave does not impede progress toward a closer union with Christ. It is only this degree of closeness to Him, which they consider when they celebrate All Saints one day, and All Souls the next.

ร˜      Can the living help the dead by praying for them? According to the Catholic doctrine, they can and many other churches around the world have based their belief on similar doctrines.

(1)"Holy Mother Church is extremely concerned for the faithful departed. She has decided to intercede for them to the fullest extent in every Mass and abrogates every special privilege in this matter" (Vatican II, The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Apostolic Constitution on the Revision of Indulgences, V, Indulgences not Attached to Things and Places, Norms, 20, p. 87).

Let me quote another doctrine from the Catholic Church,                   

(2) "Communion with the dead. In full consciousness of this communication of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the Church in its pilgrim members, from the earliest days of the Christian religion, has honored with great respect the memory of the dead; and because it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins she offers her suffrages for them. Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective." Page 250,  #958.

Let's compare this doctrine with what God wants us to do through the Bible.

(A) In the first doctrine,”… She has decided to intercede for them….” and in the second doctrine  "…it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead."

John 14: 6 “Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Can the Church come in between Man and God??  This doctrine allows the Catholic Church to intervene and thereby circumventing Christ's personal intercession for the living, by man's interceding after they are dead? This is antithetical to God's Word.

 

The "faithful departed" need no concern by us, for they have no sin before God, and cannot come into condemnation (Romans 8:1-2 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”). As for the unfaithful, it is clear that neither Jesus Christ, the Apostles, nor the Church growing from them, have ever shown concern for the dead, their concern is always for the living. This is not a truth to be trampled upon as insignificant, or worthlessly cast aside. And it indeed is very understandable that they wouldn't tend to the dead, since the whole tenor of the gospel is that the time for everyone to get right with God is in this life, not in the life to come. Now is the acceptable time for Salvation.

(B) The second doctrine also says that “..Our prayers make their intercession for us effective…”  

Jesus declared of Himself: "...All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." Matthew 28:18. Then why do we need others interceding for us? Isn't it enough to have God the Son interceding for us? Does the Creator of the Universe need the help of mortal men and women to persuade the Father on our behalf? This is not the picture of Jesus presented in the Bible.

Paul also tells the Corinthian Church in 2nd Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” We labor in this world, and we know that all must appear before the judgment seat and receive in himself the judgment of “..things done while in the body..”. Therefore nothing can add to a man good works, after he has left the body. Except Christ who paid for our bad works in life, while we all must pay for the works ourselves, after death. So how could “..Our prayers make their intercession for us effective”???

(C) The second doctrine also says that “…Praying for the dead can help loose them from their sins...”  

Hebrews 2:3 "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great Salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;" Can we really escape, very easily on earth by neglecting the Salvation in this world, through men's prayers for us after we are dead?? This appears to be the fundamental of the doctrine of praying for the dead - the humanistic reasoning of those, who cannot bear to believe the truth about the death of loved ones or friends. However, the Bible says that, "he who loves friends, father, or mother, more than Christ, is not worthy of Christ..”- Matthew 10:37. Christ, and His Word come first, except we have left our first Love! There is NO second chance. Hebrews 9:27 that, "As it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment."  Our final destination, is determined by the works of each person on this earth and not by prayers for us after our death

According to an opinion of Michael Morrissey in the Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality: "Since the Church has taught that death is not the end of life, then neither is it the end of our relationship with loved ones who have died, who along with the saints make up the Body of Christ in the 'Church Triumphant."' This assumes, of course, that they died in a state of grace and are finished with purification via purgatory. Is this man’s opinion or God’s word for Christians??

The following parable from Jesus in Luke 16:20-31, clearly explains what really happens, after death. You may want to read all these verses slowly and try and understand what Jesus is telling us..

 

19   "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.

20  At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores

21  and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22  "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.

23  In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.

24  So he called to him, `Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

25  "But Abraham replied, `Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.

26  And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

27  "He answered, `Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house,

28   for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

29  "Abraham replied, `They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

30  "`No, father Abraham,' he said, `but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

31  "He said to him, `If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

When Jesus related the details regarding the selfish rich man, and the righteous beggar, Lazarus, he has clearly affirmed that a “great chasm” stood between the abode of the unrighteous and the righteous (in verse 26). Can you see that this “chasm” is permanently “fixed”, and it is mentioned that there is no crossing from one side to the other. How, therefore, could prayers from the living alter the destiny of the lost?

Many things we question, is clearly illustrated in this parable. Firstly, is that the dead cannot intercede for those living on earth, and Secondly, that even the righteous (Abraham) couldn't intercede for the wicked. What was Abraham's response to the rich man about those on earth who he wanted to intercede for his live brothers? He says, NO, they have Moses and the Prophets (a synonym for the Holy Scriptures- The BIBLE), let them hear them!  If man doesn't hear the scriptures, He won't hear Christ (He who rose from the dead to) tell them. He is therefore Lost!

Do you still need more evidence, that praying to the dead is a man made doctrine, which clearly contradicts the Bible.  As truly, Jesus said, "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men..." in Matthew 15:9.  People tend to assume that all these rules were somehow coming from God. But they' re NOT! รจ READ THE BIBLE & SEE FOR YOURSELF.

 

DETESTABLE BY GOD!!

Some are uncomfortable with their phraseology, and so insist that they pray "with" the saints, not "to" them. However, if one is communicating, or attempting to seek out or pursue the dead in any way, they are by very definition, practicing Necromancy. This is the pagan religious practice, which is customary in nearly all pagan religions.

 

Deuteronomy 18:9-12

  • "When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
  • There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
  • Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a Necromancer.
  • For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee."

God has commanded all believers in Christ, may it be Catholics, Protestants, Baptists, Orthodox or Pentecostals…We are not to be charmers, or those fascinated with the spirits, we are not to ask of, or consult the  familiar spirits of the dead, we are not to be a Wizard, or one who is in commune with the spirits, we are not to be a necromancer, or one who pursues or seek out dead spirits. I mean how much plainer can it be? Moreover, we have biblical examples of the abomination inherent in this desire to seek help from the dead.

 

1st Samuel 28:3 "Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.

1st Samuel 28:6-7 "And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor."

 

Saul wanted to seek advise and hence seeks the help of this witch of Endor to help contact the dead Samuel, because God wouldn't answer Him, by dream or by His prophets. This witch brings up an evil spirit  AS Samuel(Not Samuel, as the wicked have no command of God's saints), that God uses to prophecy and tell Saul the punishment for his evil ways. The very next day Saul dies at the hands of the Philistines! A Witch has no power to call up the Righteous spirits of the dead, and God had already made it clear He wouldn't answer Saul by dream or Prophet, but God uses this evil aberration (as he did the evil High Priest Caiaphas) to prophecy, and illustrate the wages of such wickedness. This communication with those who have died is always pictured by God as EVIL.

 

In all of the Holy BIBLE, there is not one single instance where praying to, for, or with the dead, is a Godly act. On the contrary, as we see, it is pagan and un-Godly!

 

HOW DOES ONE RECEIVE SALVATION or BE SAVED FROM HIS SINS?

 

John 3

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

18  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

 

The starting point for a person to be saved from his/her sin, is to accept Jesus Christ as a personal savior. These 3 verses form the foundation of all salvation. Verse 18, also cautions about those who condemn Christ, that is, there is condemnation for those who take the process of accepting Christ lightly. Just being born in a Christian family does one no good. We need to live Christ in our daily life and that would be the way we could be sure of Salvation.

 

James 5:20 “..Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”

Shall save a sinner from death doesn't mean physical death. The apostle James says that we need to pray for and advise all to turn away from their sins on this earth (Since we are all born in sin. Nobody is perfect). Paul advises the Church in 2nd Corinthians 5:11 ”Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men….” that we should preach the gospel to men while they are alive. Since we know of sure the fate of those who neglect Salvation NOW and die, without accepting Lord Jesus as a personal savior.

Also in John 5:28-29"The hour cometh when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come forth, some to the resurrection of everlasting life and some to the resurrection of everlasting damnation." That is Judgment Day for those who are faced with everlasting damnation. Their sins have not been paid for, and there is no point in praying for them. There's no way, after they die, that there can be any change in their situation. There's no possibility of their being saved if they died unsaved. They are destined for hell, because they have sinned and have no covering for their sins by the blood of Christ.

Do we not understand why King David prayed and earnestly requested the Lord for his sick child so long, as the child was still alive. But he got up and ended praying earnestly to the Lord after he knew the child was dead! He "obviously" understood what so many pagan religions today do not! That the time for supplication and prayer is while men are alive. While they live "as dead" in their trespass and sin. Not after God has taken them, and they are appointed to the judgment.

 

We can plead with God after a person has died, "Oh Lord, deal kindly with this departed brother or sister. Could you give your abundant grace and make him/her have a possibility to enter into Thy kingdom, on the Day of Judgment." We can pray all of these things, but it doesn't mean a thing, because the moment of death seals the destination of that person, if he died as a saved man, he went to Heaven; if he died an unsaved man, he went into Hades, a place of silence, to await the resurrection of the last day, when he will stand for judgment and then be removed into Hell.

 

Luke 9:60 “.. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God."

Jesus is not teaching the Church to be concerned for the dead, but just the opposite. Preach the gospel to them that are alive, they are the ones who can benefit from it, not the dead.

 

CONCLUSION

What is really so wrong with praying for the dead?"

1.       First of all it is a testament to our ignorance of the truth of God's Word.

2.       Second, while many traditional church doctrines may say it is a holy and proper thought to pray for the dead, Bible condemns it by telling us after death, is the judgment, we are to tend to the living!

3.       Third, God condemns this practice and tells us that the dead know nothing and are in silence.

4.       Fourth, God tells us that it is in this life that we must be warned, repent, and be purged of every sin by the Lord. In the next age, it will be a time of judgment.

5.       Fifth, this practice denies that the wages of sin in this life is death, and makes the wages of sin, Purgatory instead.

 

Once again, you are faced with several important decisions:

  • Will you continue praying for the dead, knowing that it is a tradition of men and not a commandment of God?
  • Will you cling to a doctrine that degrades the Lord Jesus Christ so that church tradition can be exalted?
  • Will you knowingly reject the Word of God to follow man' s traditions?

These are unbiblical traditions of men and are borne out of man's humanism, and his leaning unto his own understanding, rather than God's Word. God's Word never calls for praying for the dead, nor does God imply that it does any good. On the contrary, God's word illustrates that it is against God's will, as his decision has "obviously" been made. Not a sparrow falls to the earth without God's say so. His will for us is that we feed His sheep, and attend to the living!

 

Therefore, let us go forth with renewed vigor to honor God with more than mere words and traditions. Let us go forth praying for the living, and serving the living God by worshiping Him in spirit and truth. For superstition and pagan rituals involving the dead, are the ways of the unrighteous, not the way of the Godly. The heart of the righteous, honor God by honoring His Word. Honoring tradition or the commandments of men, over God, is going the way of the Scribes and Pharisees, who went before us. I humbly pray that the Lord, who is Gracious and merciful above all, would give you the wisdom to discern His truth, and the strength to turn away from all unrighteousness in these doctrines of men.

Amen!

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